gw-update-posts.php: Fixed issue where snippet returned ID instead of value when GPPA dynamically populates post field.

[malayladu]

Context

⛑️ Ticket(s): https://secure.helpscout.net/conversation/2844608881/77895

Summary

By default, when we use GPPA to get a term, like category of a post, it returns the Term name. However, when this snippet which is used to update posts, is also active on the website, Populate Anything will return the Term ID when getting the category of a post instead of the name. The set up is what I showed in the video.

So the expected behaviour is that, even with the snippet active on the website, Populate Anything should still return the Term Name when populating Terms of a post.

Here's a video demo of the issue

https://www.loom.com/share/afe25a1453834809aa249fc342d52205?sid=dc46a634-5708-4627-b91c-789a6109a4ce

[saifsultanc]

Approved.

[coderabbitai]

Walkthrough

The changes improve the handling of custom taxonomies in the update_post_by_entry method. The implementation now trims and splits term values, verifies term types (numeric or non-numeric), and uses term_exists to retrieve term IDs when necessary. New helper methods, is_taxonomy_hierarchical and get_term_names_by_ids, have been introduced to support improved taxonomy management. Additionally, the return_ids_instead_of_names method has been modified to include specific form ID checks.

Changes

File	Change Summary
gravity-forms/gw-update-posts.php	Updated update_post_by_entry to trim/split terms, check numeric values, and use term_exists. Added logic to retrieve term names via get_term_names_by_ids for non-hierarchical taxonomies. Modified return_ids_instead_of_names to handle specific form IDs. Added new methods is_taxonomy_hierarchical and get_term_names_by_ids to support improved taxonomy handling.

Suggested reviewers

• veryspry

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• gravity-forms/gw-update-posts.php (3 hunks)

🔇 Additional comments (8)

gravity-forms/gw-update-posts.php (8)

149-189: Improved taxonomy handling with more robust term processing

The updated code significantly enhances how terms are handled when updating posts. The implementation now properly:

1. Extracts terms from field values with appropriate trimming
2. Detects taxonomy types from multiple potential sources
3. Intelligently processes terms based on whether they're IDs or names
4. Handles hierarchical vs non-hierarchical taxonomies differently

This addresses the core issue where GPPA was returning IDs instead of term names when populating post fields.

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151-161: Good taxonomy detection from multiple sources

The code now intelligently determines the taxonomy from different field types and configurations, including special handling for when GravityView is activated. This makes the implementation more robust and flexible.

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168-181: Thorough term validation and conversion

The term processing now properly checks if each term is numeric (ID) or a name, and handles the conversion appropriately using term_exists(). Removing non-existent terms is also a good defensive programming practice.

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183-186: Smart handling of hierarchical vs non-hierarchical taxonomies

Different taxonomy types need different handling - for non-hierarchical taxonomies getting term names from term IDs is the right approach. This ensures consistent behavior across taxonomy types.

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209-217: Well-implemented taxonomy helper method

This utility function properly checks if a taxonomy is hierarchical by retrieving the taxonomy object and checking its properties. The defensive check for a non-existent taxonomy is good practice.

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227-239: Useful term name retrieval helper method

This helper function correctly retrieves term names from term IDs with proper error handling, ensuring no WP_Error objects are returned to the user. The type casting to array ensures consistent handling of both single IDs and arrays.

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361-368: Fixed the core issue with GPPA term handling

This change addresses the core issue by:

1. Checking if the field belongs to the target form
2. Avoiding ID returns for post objects used in dynamically populated fields

The logic ensures that when GPPA is used to populate post fields, term names are returned instead of term IDs as expected.

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422-423: Add newline at end of file

The file is missing a newline at the end, which is generally recommended for compatibility with various tools and to prevent issues if anything gets concatenated at the end of the file.

 }
 

+

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[coderabbitai]

Actionable comments posted: 0

🧹 Nitpick comments (2)

gravity-forms/gw-update-posts.php (2)

145-175: Refine non-hierarchical taxonomy handling for potential name collisions.

This block correctly differentiates between hierarchical and non-hierarchical taxonomies and updates term references accordingly. However, storing term names instead of slugs for non-hierarchical taxonomies can cause ambiguities if multiple terms share the same name. Consider switching to term slugs or verifying term uniqueness to mitigate potential collisions.

- $terms = $this->get_term_names_by_ids( $terms, $taxonomy );
+ $terms = $this->get_term_slugs_by_ids( $terms, $taxonomy );

As a follow-up, you could implement a helper method similar to “get_term_names_by_ids” that retrieves slugs instead of names. This ensures consistent handling even when term names are not unique.

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205-225: Consider returning term slugs for non-hierarchical taxonomies.

While retrieving and returning $tag->name works, it may be safer to return $tag->slug as it’s guaranteed to be unique within the taxonomy. Multiple terms could share the same display name, causing unexpected collisions when setting post terms by name.

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• gravity-forms/gw-update-posts.php (3 hunks)

🔇 Additional comments (5)

gravity-forms/gw-update-posts.php (5)

183-183: Comment is fine.

The additional inline comment clarifies the rationale for passing false for $wp_error and $fire_after_hooks in wp_update_post. No issues identified.

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188-203: Hierarchical check is correct and efficient.

This new method accurately determines if a taxonomy is hierarchical by retrieving its object and examining the hierarchical property. It’s a straightforward and valid approach.

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346-349: Form ID check is clean and straightforward.

This conditional correctly restricts the logic to the current form ID and avoids unintended side effects in other forms.

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351-354: Early return for non-taxonomy object types.

Skipping ID transformation for posts ensures only taxonomy-based fields are affected. This aligns with the intended fix for returning name values in GPPA fields when dealing with post objects.

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409-414: Verify the hard-coded post ID.

You are instantiating the class with 'post_id' => 1, which might be for testing or demo purposes. If this is intended for production usage, ensure post ID 1 is always valid and accessible.

Are you certain this is the correct post ID in all cases, or would a dynamic approach be preferable?

[veryspry]

@malayladu this is untested by me, but the code looks good. I did add a couple of suggestions and a question. I'm going to go ahead and approve so that you can move this along as soon as you decide what (if anything) to do with suggestions 🙂

[malayladu]

@veryspry I've made changes based on the feedback. Ready for review and then S&M!

[veryspry]

@malayladu thank you! And also approved